Iraqi artist Waffa Bilal presents The Ashes Series, a cycle of photographs featuring miniatures model of his own construction which trace photographs uploaded online, documenting the ruins in Baghdad in the wake of the war in Iraq. At the heart of Bilal’s photographs, amidst the ruins of Saddam Hussein’s house, stands a chair the likes of which may be found in European palaces. 21 grams of human ashes mixed with organic ashes were scattered on the model. The photographs, documenting the construction of the recreated model, explore the impact of the destruction on domestic spaces expropriated from the private domain following their exposure by the media, pointing at the violent act that took place in them. Bilal examines the alienation generated by the language of art in general, and the language of photography in particular, indicating the indifference of those viewers to the horrifying photographs due to their vast quantity. The act of reconstruction brings the viewer closer to the intimacy of these rooms, while exposing the horror that has taken place in them. The spaces form a symbolic reminder of the repression involved in political conflicts and cultural dichotomies, such as George Bush’s speech which divided the world into those who belonged to the ”axis of evil” and those who did not. According to Bilal, an Iraqi refugee living in the United States, the photographs represent his attempt to find logic in a destruction resulting from cultural clashes, and to preserve the beauty inherent in the moment after the storm, once the violent act has ended and the ashes settle.
The CDA's archives are operating with the support of the Ostrovsky Family Fund and Artis
